Chaos Lane
by Mysteriya
Summary: Life for Tea Gardner had been a blast before she moved to Japan. Now, as she says goodbye to her family in Canada, she's going to realize just how hard it is to live life in the spotlight... not to mention being next door to celebrities! SxT, full sum in.
1. New Beginning

**Chaos Lane**

**Hi all! I'm here with another story! I know I'm still working on Nightmare City, but I wanted to try something a bit lighter. I've been writing the dark fic for some time, but I want to give this story a try! Well, to begin, thank you to my supporters, and welcome to new one! Hopefully you'll give this story a shot and enjoy! Thank you and please leave a review! Now enough with my blabbering and let's get on with the story!**

_Disclaimers: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or the characters, and this story is purely fictional. If it does resemble anything, it is by pure coincidence! Thank you and enjoy!_

Things to look for (All the chapters follow this guide):

_Flashbacks_

'Thoughts'/ 'sounds'

"Dialogue"

(NOTE from me)

**Summary:** _**Tea Gardner has lived her whole life in Canada. She was born and raised there and the only thing she knew about Japan was what she learned through her mother. Now on a path to surpass her mother, she enters Japan to prove to her parents that she can succeed without their help, and that she will strive to become the best dancer there is. However, little does she know that the peaceful and quiet life that she hoped for will no longer exist? Instead, she'll be facing crazy fans, the manipulative media, criminals, and worst of all her celebrity neighbours. She's going to realize just how difficult it is to live life in the spotlight. **_

**Chapter One:**

**New Beginning**

All I could see as I looked out the window was a midnight blue sky littered with balls of cotton and glittering lights. It made me feel so calm and alive, not to mention excited. A small little bird was weaving its way through the fluffy white material as my destination was getting closer. Although I wasn't quite there yet, I could already feel the drastic change in my life. It felt like I'd been sitting here for way too long just waiting to reach my goals. The flight had definitely taken its toll on me as I could feel the stiffness in my back and legs.

"When I get off this, I'm going to have a word with the pilots. They need to give us better seats," the women beside me muttered.

"Well, I guess we'd have to pay more to get better seats. Besides, plane tickets are already very expensive as it is. At least we're not on rocks right?" I couldn't help but give her a retort. The woman beside me was about 24 and very talkative. She'd been complaining the whole flight, and let me tell you, having to sit in an airplane for over 14 hours with a woman that did nothing but complain was no fun.

The woman frowned slightly as she turned her full body towards me. "So why are you going to Japan?"

I looked at her with slight shock. Could she not have started a friendly conversation with me at the start instead of complaining? And now that we were nearly in Japan she was asking me why was I going to Japan? Well why not?

Again I smiled at her before I spoke, "My parents were originally from Japan. They decided to move to Canada before I was born in hopes of pursuing their dreams in a foreign country..."

"How's Canada?" The woman was really talkative for sure. I was trying to tell her about why I wanted to come to Japan.

"Yes... Canada's been great."

"Then why Japan?" I didn't really like the woman to start with, but now I really could feel my annoyance reaching a whole new level.

"I'm here to learn about the culture and traditions. I want to see the country that both my parents were born and raised in. After all, Japan is still a part of my blood and it's a disappointment if I don't come back and discover my heritage," I said again.

She looked at me with a slight smile on her face. "What a nice girl! This is my ... I think fifth time coming to Japan in the last two years."

I looked at her with a slightly confused look. Just seconds ago she was complaining about hard seats, yet she'd been through the flight conditions four... no wait this would make it nine times counting the return trips. Shouldn't she already be used to it?

She gave out a snicker as though she'd read my mind. "Oh I'm not used to the airplanes yet. They're completely horrible to sit through. And you're probably wondering why I'm even sitting in economy class if I'm a rich girl?"

I tried to hide my astonishment as she told me she was rich. Now I couldn't help but think that if she were rich, then why was she sitting here in economy?

The girl smirked as she folded her arms across her chest and crossed her legs. "Well, you see my parents were mad at me. They said that I wasn't allowed to come to Japan to just go look at those boys. I was mad at them for not letting me take the private plane, but they failed to realize I did have some side money I'd been saving up. So in order to prevent the usage of all my savings, I decided to take economy class, but this is killer!"

Honestly, I barely knew what to say to her. The only thing I could mutter was a "nice".

So she'd come here chasing boys now?

"Your attention please. This is the Captain speaking. We will be reaching our destination shortly and ask you to please remain seated with your seat belts fastened. Please stay in your seats until the plane has come to a full and complete stop. Thank you for riding..."

"AHH! YES!" The girl's sudden movement and shriek scared me. I couldn't help but let out a yelp as well. I looked at her with wide eyes as I saw her quickly fasten her belt. She turned to me with a huge grin on her face. What was wrong with her? "Sorry! I'm just so excited! It's been three months since I last saw the boys. I can't wait to see them. I'm just such a huge fan. They're going to be holding a party to meet with some of their fans... and I got an invite! I can't wait at all!"

"Fan? What?" Did she mean she was looking for a celebrity?

The girl looked at her again with a shocked expression. For once she was quiet with her mouth gaping wide open. "Don't you know them? They're the biggest thing that happened in Japan... no! They're the biggest thing that happened in the international entertainment business. Everyone knows them! All five of them have gained so much praise and not to mention love from all sorts of fans from all over the world. They debuted two years ago into the singing field, and have slowly made their way into acting and modelling. They're the most popular boy-band ever!"

Again I looked at her with a weird expression. I guess she thought I was some stupid idiot since I had absolutely no idea who she was talking about. But then again, I didn't really care. It's not that I don't like boy-bands... It's just that I don't like the way some singers are portrayed. Just because there was a group of pretty boys didn't mean that a single ballad singer was not a better singer. I never really understood the entertainment field, but it was confusing for sure. I was a fan of international singers for sure; I mean I listened to music from all over the globe even though I didn't understand the language. There were even a few Japanese singers that had caught my attention. As long as the voice had passion and depth, I was hooked.

"Well, I guess I have more to learn about Japanese pop culture too eh?"

The girl laughed as she gripped her arm-rest. The plane was slowly beginning to descend down. I turned my head to look out the window again. The clouds were slowly disappearing into the air. Slowly, land was beginning to peep out from beneath my window. I could see the city lights glittering in the dark. As we got closer, the tiny little buildings were beginning to grow, and the little bugs that were seen from the sky were forming into vehicles. I held my breath as I watched the beautiful scene in front of me. It was so beautiful and enchanting. The city was bustling with life, even at 3 am. Cars were going down streets, people were walking in crowds. Soon the view of the cars and people began to zone out as our plane began to slow its speed down. We'd entered a large field with blinking lights. The plane itself let out a roar and shook as it finally reached the crowd. Everyone on the plane suddenly started to clap and cheer as the plane ran along the runway. I looked around to see people begin to break into conversations as they waited for the plane to come to a complete stop.

"We're here!" The girl beside me yelled again. Well, at least she was happy now.

"Guess the flight's worth it?" I smirked myself as I tried to keep my excitement to a minimum. The truth was that I wanted to run up and down the plane screaming in joy. It was my first time living away from home and it just so happened to be a completely new country. I'd come to Japan to learn about the culture and to attend a small dance school here. My mother had loved to dance and had attended a small dance school here in Tokyo. She'd told me all sorts of stories of her growing up here and how her passion for dance was nurtured into a fulfilling career here. I wanted to learn to dance as well as my mother did. Although she'd opened her own school in Canada, I wanted to strive to achieve my goals too. I wanted to be independent and succeed her records. She'd grown to become a well respected and quite well-known dancer in Canada. She'd helped choreograph dances for broadways, movies, and even music videos. I wanted to surpass her. I know I will surpass her. She'd even smiled before I left her...

"_Dance your way to victory. Feel the passion and let go."_

I sighed as I remembered the scene. My mother had been excited, but my father hadn't. We'd argued before I left. He refused to come and see me off.

My thoughts came to a halt as people around me began to get off their seats and open the compartments that held their bags. I saw as the girl beside me jumped off her seat and pulled down her violet coloured bag. She quickly grabbed a pen from her bag and a small piece of paper before she scribbled something down.

"Here," she said as she passed me the piece of paper, "that's my number." Again I looked at her with a questioning gaze. She'd been talking so much this whole flight, and now she was starting to be friendly. "You're new to this country, and you could use a friend. Just ring me up and I'll be there to help you in no time! I know quite a few good places and I'm sure you'll love them!"

I smiled at her as I stood up. So she wasn't a bad person after all. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. By the way, I'm Tea. Tea Gardner."

She smiled brightly as she helped take down my bag. "I'm Mai. Mai Valentine." She handed me her book and pen so I could write down my number. "Well then Tea, let's go get our luggage! I've got a lot to carry home."

For the umpteenth time I looked at her with an astonished expression. She merely laughed out loud before she spoke. She even had a house here? "You forget Tea, I'm rich. I had to buy a house here in order to stay at each visit. I can't stand hotels. I prefer the privacy of my big villa! By the way... how long are you here for?"

It took me a good fifteen seconds to answer. "Uh... at least a year."

Mai's expression turned to delight... if she could be any happier. "Awesome! I'll be here for about a year too! We definitely need to hang out soon!"

I began to follow her as we walked down the plane's aisle. I smiled knowing that I'd been completely wrong about Mai the whole flight. She wasn't a bad person. I guess first impressions aren't always right. Originally I thought she was such a selfish and negative person who only fussed over little things... but now that I thought about it again... well let's just say I was wrong.

"Definitely." A smiled crept on my face as we exited the plane.

After that I picked up my luggage and waited on Mai. As she lifted her purple suitcases off the track we made our way towards the arrival section. I have to admit, I was surprised with the sight I saw. Just after I exited the door towards the waiting friends and families I saw flashes of light and huge signs. I felt Mai freeze beside me as I tried my best to find the person that was supposed to be waiting for me here. I looked around in the screaming and cheering crowd, not to mention the flashing lights for a sign that read "Gardner".

"What the heck is happening here?" I asked as I had to grab Mai to get moving. People behind her couldn't pass us since she was blocking the way.

"It's the boys! They're here!" She exclaimed. She quickly let go of my hand and was about to run towards the crowd before she halted and turned to me. "Come on! Move faster!"

Again, I looked at her with a surprised expression. This many people had come to see celebrities at this time? And she was actually waiting for me? I smiled and shook my head no. "It's okay. I have to find my aunt anyway. You go ahead and I'll contact you soon after."

Mai pouted but then smiled. "It was nice meeting you Tea. I'll talk to you later!" She squealed as she ran towards the crowd.

I let out a sigh as I turned my back to the crowd. I doubt that my mom's childhood friend would've been in the crowd. As I turned around and walked towards the exit to the airport, I heard the whole crowd give out a loud scream. Apparently the celebrities had just appeared. The noise was really beginning to give me a headache and it was definitely insane. I turned around one last time to see what was happening, but the only thing I caught a glimpse of was a brown head of hair. Behind him was someone with white hair. I didn't have a chance to look at their faces nor the rest of them as I was suddenly pulled from the front.

"Tea? Is that you darling? Oh my god you've grown!"

I completely forgot about the celebrities behind me as I embraced my aunt tightly in my arms. I hadn't seen her in ages. She'd been to Canada about three times before since I was born, and my mother always made her stay with us whenever she came down. The woman was a petite woman with black hair and brown eyes. She was a beauty and also now a teacher at the dance academy mom used to study in. I could barely make out what she was saying because of the noise. I grabbed her hands as we made our way out of the airport.

The air in Japan itself seemed so different and refreshing as it hit my face. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I was finally here. A small palm rested on my left shoulder as I turned around.

"It's so loud in there. These young people and their hormones," my aunt muttered as she flagged down a taxi. We put in my luggage and then got into the cab. My aunt had her own red sports car, yet she still preferred to get around by walking and public forms of transportation. She said it was a way for her to feel a part of the community. Although my aunt was talking to me, I just stared out the window the whole ride. The night sky was beautiful here. I watched the passing lights and buildings as my aunt talked about the different places I just had to visit.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Tea," her sweet voice said.

I looked at her and smiled, "me too."

--

"Well, how do you like it?" She obviously seemed happy with the preparations. Tea couldn't help but be struck by awe. The moment she landed in this country, she couldn't believe her eyes. It was beautiful and lively (NOTE: I've never been to Japan so I'm trying my best to research a bit about it. If I get anything wrong or so, just remember that I've never been there!) Many people were walking down the streets while neon lights were flashing. Even now, as she stared at the nicely furnished apartment her aunt had prepared for her, she was amazed. The apartment was beautiful. As soon as she walked in through the entrance, she was greeted with open space. The living room was a nice size, not too big nor too small. As Tea walked in, she noticed the small rug with a coffee table above it. Surrounding the table was a 3 piece couch set. Tea looked to her aunt in confusion.

"Ah! I got carried away. I know you don't need three different couches since you're living alone, but I couldn't help myself."

Tea gave her a nod as she progressed further into the apartment. To her left she found a spacious room. As she entered the room she was struck again. Her aunt really loved to decorate. The room was beautiful for sure. The walls were painted a nice light pink while a single, large round mirror hung from across the door. The first thing she'd seen was the mirror. The room also had a twin size bed that held cute little stuffed animals upon the blue sheets. Tea smiled. She'd always loved stuffed animals and her aunt knew it. She even knew Tea's favourite colours, pink and blue. On the wall above her bed was a picture that her aunt had taken with her family on her last visit to Canada. In it, her mother, father, and younger brother were all smiling as her aunt was holding a relatively angry cat in her hands. Tea took a seat on her bed as she stared at the picture. She was already missing her family.

"I heard about what happened honey," her aunt chimed in as she took a seat beside Tea.

Tea looked up as she tried to keep herself from crying. "It's okay Aunt Kyomi. Dad'll get over it sooner or later. I'm not going to let him get to me about this. I wanted to come here to learn to dance and gain independence, and that's what I intend on doing."

Her aunt gave Tea a smile as she patted her head. "You're just as strong as your mother. I'm sure Kai will get over it. He can't be mad at his daughter forever." She gave Tea's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning to long curtains that covered the wall near the bed. "You should look out there, it's a beautiful sight."

Tea followed her aunt's directions towards the blue curtains that hung against the wall. She then stood up and made her way to pull open the curtains. As she did, she was expecting to look through the window but was again shocked. Instead of a window, Tea was met with a glass door that opened up to a balcony. Tea quickly unlocked the door and stepped outside. This whole apartment felt as though it was right out of a fairy tale. The night sky was already beginning to show waves of orange. Stars and the crescent shaped moon peeked out over the clouds, but were also dimming away. In front of her balcony was an open lawn before a new building sprouted its way up at least 200 meters away. A small white bird bath was seen in the middle of the open park, surrounded by beautiful little flowers. A few trees were scattered all over the place as a single white path guided its way through the park.

"Aunt Kyomi... It's beautiful," Tea whispered as she took a seat at the chair that had been placed there.

Her aunt slowly approached her as she giggled. "I thought you'd like it. You've always been more of an outdoorish kind of person. So then, I guess you like the place?"

Tea turned to her aunt as she smiled brightly, "Yes! I love it! Thank you so much!"

"No problem Tea. Although I still wish you would've come and stayed with us."

Tea stood up as she now squeezed her aunt's shoulders reassuringly. "I know you wanted me to, but you've just gotten back together with Uncle Tom. You two should be working out your issues. And besides, I can't intrude on the two of you for a whole year." Tea's aunt was about to say something when Tea quickly cut her off. "Besides, I'm here to learn to be independent and prove to my father that I will succeed on my own. I don't want him thinking otherwise."

Her aunt gave Tea a faint smile as she let out a sigh. "Alright then, if you need anything don't hesitate to call. I've set everything up for you, but you might want to go and say hi to the landlord tomorrow. We've rented this apartment out for a year, and it's on contract. So it's yours until the years up. Foods in the fridge, and..."

Tea sighed as she hugged her aunt. Although her aunt wasn't related to her by blood, she had been her mother's best friend since childhood. They'd grown up practically like sisters and had become an important part of Tea's life as well. "I'll be okay. You should get some rest now. I think I'm going to hit the sack and worry about unpacking tomorrow... later."

Her aunt smiled again as she looked at the time. "Although it's already nearly 6, I guess you do need to sleep. Call me when you're all unpacked and ready for a tour okay? I've left my number by the fridge along with all other important contact numbers." Her aunt paused as she looked at the sky. "You better go and rest honey."

On cue, Tea let out a yawn. She'd been exhausted alright, and it was already starting to affect her. "I will Aunt Kyomi." As Tea turned around she caught sight of another balcony to her left not too far from her. Tea noticed a single sunflower growing out of the little pot in the corner. Sunflowers were Tea's favourite flowers and she couldn't help but feel cheery.

"I'm going to get going now Tea. You better lock the door behind me. Sleep tight okay?"

Tea looked towards her aunt again and followed her towards the door. After saying her goodbye, Tea locked the door and returned to her room. She immediately flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. The apartment was beautiful, quiet, and extremely welcoming. Tea loved it. She was happy to know that the decision she made had been the right one.

"Hurray for a new beginning," she whispered as she dozed off into a long and peaceful slumber.

----- **six hours later**

Tea awoke to the sound of a ringing telephone. She opened her eyes and stared at her watch. It was 12:13pm and she was still sleeping. She quickly rolled out of bed and ran for the phone.

"Hello?" Tea had nearly tripped while she'd been trying to catch the phone. She was panting slightly as she rubbed her eyes to get rid of the sleep.

"Good afternoon. Is this Miss Gardner," the man's voice questioned on the other end.

"Yes it is. May I ask whose calling?" Tea hadn't even given this number to anyone yet and was surprised to see someone calling for her already.

"Ah, good afternoon Miss Gardner, I'm the landlord for this establishment. Actually, I was wondering if you could stop by my office so we could finish signing the papers for the lease. I understand you just arrived by flight and..."

"It's no problem sir. I appreciate the call." Tea hated to be so professional regardless of who it was. " I shall be there in half an hour sir."

After a few more minutes of talking, Tea hung up the phone as she proceeded to her bedroom. She picked up one of her suitcases and placed it on her bed. She opened it up and began to fish for a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and her toothbrush. After finding her toothbrush, she pulled out her denim shorts and light blue t-shirt. She then proceeded to the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom and decided to take a bath. Soon after, she finished getting ready and grabbed a quick sandwich from the fridge. Her aunt hadn't been kidding when she said that there was food in the fridge. Her aunt really made sure she'd have at least a month worth of food ready to go. Tea grabbed her purse, cell phone, and a notebook that she'd written important numbers on and exited her door. She quickly searched out her keys from her pocket and locked the door. She was startled when she heard someone's voice a few meters away from her.

"Hi there!" Tea whirled around to see a man with black hair in a pony tail. He was quite tall, and handsome as well. He looked to be about 23, and definitely had an interesting aura. "You must be the new tenant."

Tea smiled as he extended his hand. She accepted his hand and shook it. " I'm Tea Gardner. Just moved in. And you are..."

The boy smiled as he let go of her hand. "The names Duke Devlin. I live a few doors down with my girlfriend."

Tea let out a laugh as she said hi. "Nice you meet you. Where is your girlfriend though?" Tea asked. He'd obviously wanted her to ask about the girlfriend if he was going to mention it. Tea wasn't interested in Duke at all, but he sure thought she was. 'Weird guy,' she thought as she heard a soft voice from down the hallway.

"Sorry! He's a bit of a social butterfly. Loves to talk." The girl that now approached them had a sincere and pleasantness about her. She had long red hair that went past her waist. Her hair swayed with her body as she got closer. She soon introduced herself as Serenity.

"Nice to meet the both of you. Unfortunately, I have to go see the landlord at the moment, but maybe I can invite you in for a cup of coffee once I get settled in?" Tea was glad to know that she'd met two really nice people already on her first day. She was beginning to love everything about this place. The building itself was wonderful. The room was beautiful, the scenery was astonishing, and the people were amazing. She felt like she was in paradise.

Serenity clasped onto Tea's hands as she apologized for holding her up. "For sure! It's nice to see a nice female living here now. Most people on this floor in particular keep to themselves. I only know a few people on this floor. It can get hectic around here though because of them..."

"Serenity, she needs to get going for now. Sorry, now you probably understand who the real one that talks a lot is."

Tea sincerely let out a giggle as she looked at the two of them. They were a cute, yet interesting couple for sure. Tea quickly said her bye as she left the two of them to their chatting.

She got on the elevator and hit the first floor. The building itself was twelve stories high. She'd ended up getting on the sixth story. Each floor had fifteen units. She'd been in 612. Duke and Serenity lived a few doors down in 608. Tea still had to meet her immediate neighbours. As far as she knew, 610 and 614 weren't in at the moment. Neither was 613, whose door was opposite her own.

She soon found herself on the first floor and inside the landlord's office. The man was a nice old man in his 60s. He had a friendliness that made her feel right at home.

"My, you're such a beauty Tea." He had introduced himself as Soloman. Tea smiled as she sat down. He'd gone through the terms of the lease again to clarify all the details. She nodded her head and signed the remaining documents. The fees had already been paid and she was all ready to go.

"The place is beautiful Mr. Soloman. The people here are so wonderful as well. It's really nice and peaceful," Tea said as she got up to leave.

Mr. Soloman gave out a chuckle as he escorted her out. "It is on certain days. But this place can get quite lively at others."

Tea looked at him in confusion, but he merely shook his head. "Have a nice day Tea."

She smiled again as she exited the room. "You too sir."

As soon as Tea exited the building, she took in the beautiful park that she'd seen from the balcony. This was paradise. The place was beautiful and the fresh air had completely waked her up. She just knew that her life was now going to change. She couldn't wait to begin her journey in a new country and the journey to reach her goals.

Tea then proceeded through the park and looked up to spot her balcony. She had to do something to make it was a bit more distinguished. The only way she'd recognized her balcony right then had been by spotting the only sunflower growing on the balcony beside hers. Tea glanced at the balcony and noticed white curtains, as well as what looked like little stools. She couldn't help but let her mind wander.

"I wonder what they're like," she thought thinking of her neighbours. She kept that thought in mind as she made her way into the streets of Tokyo City.

--

"Ah! I'm tired. It's been a long night. All those fans were following us for way too long," their manager stated as he pulled up in front of the building. "Alright boys, looks like we've managed to lose the fans. Go on in and get ready in twenty minutes. You've got to go for your recording today. We need to make – Joey! Get up and listen," the manager yelled.

The blonde boy that had been dozing off quickly jumped up startled by the tone of voice. "Wha-aah? I'm up! I was listening," he muttered as he gave out a yawn.

"You're always dozing off," came a curt reply from beside him. Joey looked towards the darker-skinned man.

"Shut up Marik."

"That's enough both of you! We don't have much time so hurry up and get ready. Meet me here in twenty minutes," their manager repeated.

A single sigh was heard from the back of the van and the doors opened. One by one each boy walked out. The last to come out merely smirked as he watched Joey and Marik begin hitting each other. The two of them always argued no matter what. He glanced at the park that stood in front of their apartment. Birds were already filtered in the bath and chirping away. The wind had picked up and was rustling the leaves from the trees, carrying a sweet scent towards his nose. He could spot a few people walking on the white path. In the distance, he could see the old couple that lived on the third floor, and the little girl walking her dog who lived on the tenth. However, farther off into the distance he spotted a figure he did not recognize.

"Hey! Kaiba! You coming or what," came a shout from behind him. He turned around and frowned. He let out a sigh as he followed his members in. They didn't have time to fool around. They had to get ready and go out again.

"Hopefully the fans don't find out we're back! I actually like it here!" Joey said as he boarded the elevator. He waited till all five of them were in before he pushed the sixth floor button.

All of them stood in silence as they heard the elevators murmuring. The only other sound they heard was the slight 'ding' that came on when they arrived at their destination. They slowly made their way down the hall. Joey stopped by door 608 and was about to knock when he was stopped.

"Do you want her to hate you more? She doesn't like it when her older brothers all overprotective of her you know."

Joey threw another punch at Marik as he quickly dashed and ran past them.

Kaiba let out another sigh. 'Idiots.'

"Hey Bakura! What are you doing! Our doors here!" Joey yelled to the single member that had walked behind the rest of them. Kaiba turned around to see Bakura staring at the door he now stood in front of. He then looked towards them and smiled.

"Looks like we've finally got a neighbour," he said as he saw the little 'Welcome' sign posted on the front.

A smirk was heard as they turned towards the last of the members. "The landlords a funny one. He's turned everyone down from renting out that last apartment there, yet here we are with a new tenant."

Kaiba looked at his spiky haired member and merely sighed. All of his members were 'idiots'. He merely shook his head as he walked past all of them and opened the door. He paused just before he walked in.

"In case you've forgotten, we've only got twelve minutes to go."

All of them jumped and quickly ran into the room before closing the door with a 'bang'.

The hall went silent again as the single 'Welcome' sign on the door swayed. It shook and shook until finally, it fell down.

Outside, Tea looked up at the sky as she walked down the street and let herself sway to the wind,

_Feel yourself and let go._

--

**That's the first chapter! I know maybe not the best of things, but it is just setting things up. I hope it doesn't seem too rushed but I wanted to make a long first chapter right away! ****Hopefully you all like it and I promise that the story will get better! :D After all, we're dealing with celebrities and craziness! :P This is my first time trying something like this, so give it a chance and I'd love some feed back! :D**

**ALSO! I may need some help when it comes to describing life in Japan. If you've been to Japan, or are Japanese, or even know much about Japan, some cultural pointers would be great! :D I'd like to learn a bit more about the hot-spring baths and such in Japan, so any info could help! Anywho just get back to me and let me know what you think! :D Take care and Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Sakura

**Chaos Lane**

**Hi again! Thank you to all that reviewed and alerted/ favourite the story! And a big thank you to all those that tried to give me some insight into Japanese culture! Arigato! :P Alright, enough from me and on with Chapter 2! Please R & R!! **

_Disclaimers: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or the characters, and this story is purely fictional. If it does resemble anything, it is by pure coincidence! Thank you and enjoy!_

Things to look for (All the chapters follow this guide):

_Flashbacks_

'Thoughts'/ 'sounds'

"Dialogue"

(NOTE from me)

**Summary:** _**Tea Gardner has lived her whole life in Canada. She was born and raised there and the only thing she knew about Japan was what she learned through her mother. Now on a path to surpass her mother, she enters Japan to prove to her parents that she can succeed without their help, and that she will strive to become the best dancer there is. However, little does she know that the peaceful and quiet life that she hoped for will no longer exist? Instead, she'll be facing crazy fans, the manipulative media, criminals, and worst of all her celebrity neighbours. She's going to realize just how difficult it is to live life in the spotlight. **_

_Last Chapter:_

_The hall went silent again as the single 'Welcome' sign on the door swayed. It shook and shook until finally, it fell down._

_Outside, Tea looked up at the sky as she walked down the street and let herself sway to the wind,_

_Feel yourself and let go._

**Chapter Two:**

**Sakura**

Tea was already patrolling the bustling streets of the afternoon. She had to admit, the air around Japan was a lot more different than in Canada, and the people were a lot more talkative. High school students had already begun to walk around in packs. She noticed a bunch of girls walk past her giggling at a picture in the magazine they were holding. A few feet ahead of her was a group of boys talking excitedly about something they called a 'gokon' (A/N: I've come across this term in countless mangas! Sounds fun! :P)

"Must be lunch time... or something," Tea exhaled quietly as she watched shop owners chattering away happily with their customers. She could see certain shops were quite busy while others adorned a few less individuals.

Tea looked up to see a bright blue sky with birds flying about. She could see the incredibly crowded buses going past her, as well as delivery boys and children on bikes. She also noticed a small shop that looked to be a cafe not too far from her.

Tea smiled as the fresh aroma of coffee beans hit her senses. It smelled really good. Tea felt herself literally float towards the small cafe. It seemed like a nice environment. Not too many people were crowded in the shop as had been the case in other stores she'd left behind. Tea went ahead to the counter where she found a pregnant woman standing behind the register.

"Konichiwa," the woman spoke.

Tea smiled and nodded her head, "Konichiwa." Tea quickly looked up to see that the whole menu had been written in Japanese. Tea tried to remember the little bit of Japanese her mother had taught her. The truth was she had never really learned to read or write in the Japanese language. Although she was able to understand the language to an extent, she was never able to read or write it. Even when it came to speaking the language... she was limited.

The woman in front of her saw the perplexed face Tea had presented forward and let out a soft giggle. "Foreigner?"

Tea was surprised to hear her speak in English. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, I'm not really good with Japanese."

The woman shook her head with her smile still intact. "Not a problem. You give off the air that you're not from around here. But no worries, we get lots of foreigners visiting around here all the time. That's why we're always prepared."

With the smile still gracing her face, the woman disappeared beneath the counter for a moment. Tea took the moment to look around the shop. Beautiful cakes were displayed along the counter in the glass cake. They seemed to dance with such colour and scents that Tea had the urge to just eat them all. Behind her, she found a few green, small tables with chairs ranging from 2 to 4 around them. On the further end of the room were square tables with as many as 8 seats to the tables.

"This place is actually bigger than it looks," Tea said out aloud as she turned her attention to the entrance again.

The woman reappeared as she let out another set of giggles. "Yes, I know. The outside makes it seem small, but it's not as small as it seems. Ah, here you go. I knew I had a copy in English here somewhere. Take a look at that and let me know what you'd like," the woman said again as she handed Tea the sheet.

Tea took the menu from her and thanked her. "I guess I'll stick with a regular coffee for now."

The woman nodded as she took the menu and went about to make Tea her cup of drink. "Based on your accent, I'd say you were from North America."

Tea nodded as she stifled a yawn that had already begun to enter her throat. "Yeah, I'm from Canada. Just got here a few hours ago and decided to go exploring."

"Oh sounds fun! Just be careful though. Although Japan's got the one of the lowest crime rates, it's not to say crime doesn't happen. Also, you need to be very aware of traffic. It gets busy and hectic, and I doubt you want to end up under a tire." (A/N: I got this information from a website a while back. I'm sorry but I don't remember the website... I think it was a tourist site.)

Tea let out a soft chuckle. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Not a problem," the woman stated as she passed her a paper cup full of coffee.

"So, how much do I owe you?"

"Just 350 yen will be fine. I'm not going to charge you tax today. And here, I'm giving you this on the house," the woman said as she passed Tea a small white bag (A/N: How do yen work??).

Tea took the bag and found herself face to face with one of the colourful cakes she'd been looking at a few moments earlier.

Tea looked up again and smiled brightly. "Oh my... I couldn't..."

"That's enough. It's your first time in Japan, and I want to make sure you like it here... and besides, I'd like to have you down here more often." The woman smirked as she collected the money from Tea.

Tea smiled. "Thank you! Uh... Arigato! My names Tea, and you're bound to find me here again."

"I'm Kina."

"Nice to meet you Kina." Tea smiled once more and waved the pregnant woman goodbye as she exited the shop with her coffee and cake in hand.

Once outside, Tea glanced around the bustling crowd and rushing traffic. Even though it was lively, Tea felt wonderful. The place had been absolutely beautiful so far. She had no problems yet and the people she'd met were all wonderful. Even the coffee tasted amazing.

"It's good to be out!"

Tea continued to walk down the street as she peered into the shops along the way. It was a colourful and welcoming area and she couldn't help but let herself wander into certain shops and take a look at the merchandise.

She quietly entered a book store as she neared an intersection. The book store itself was quite big. It reminded her of the kind of book stores back home in Canada (A/N: If you've ever been to a chapters in Canada... think of that.... otherwise like a big library). She slowly made her way through the aisles, carefully trying to make out the kanji and writings in front of her.

"I should've really learned Japanese properly," she muttered as she picked up a white book with a small red flower on the cover. She then decided to flick through the book, even though she couldn't really read what was written. As she went through the picture, she came across different types of flowers. Tea let herself smile as she came across a single flower that she recognized. A single little pale pinkish spot blossomed on the page before her. Tea had always been fascinated with flowers, and she'd absolutely loved the cherry blossoms her aunt had brought with her on her last visit to Canada.

"_They're called Sakuras',"_ her aunt told her.

"Sakura," Tea repeated as she let her finger graze over the brighter pink part of the image.

Tea was suddenly pulled out of her little moment when she heard a loud voice come from behind her. "Yah! I need a copy! Give it here!"

"Hang on! I was here first!"

Tea turned around to see what was going on. It had been quiet and nice, save for the few little chuckles and questions that were floating around the room. Yet all of a sudden, the chaos from the streets seemed to fill the store itself.

As Tea placed the Sakura book down, she slowly made her way past the two arguing customers.

"That's the only copy left! I need it please! I need to go meet them for their signing and I need that book!"

'This place is definitely lively,' Tea thought as she quietly exited the store.

Inside the store, Tea could still see one of the girls holding the book they'd been fighting over her head while the other one tried to snatch it from her. The book itself was in purple and gold, and on the cover were five individuals. Tea couldn't quite make them out, but knew at once that it must have been those celebrities that the girl on the plan had been crazy over. She let out a sigh as she turned her back to the store and headed out.

She walked a few blocks down before she spotted a blossoming Sakura. Without hesitation she crouched down and picked up a branch of the beautiful flower.

"Too bad I can't grow a tree in my balcony," she thought as she carefully placed the flowers into her bag. She would keep it in her balcony for the moment she thought.

"Time to go back home," she said as she glanced at her watch. She'd been out exploring for nearly four hours now.

She made her way back to her apartment, only stopping once by an elderly woman who was sitting on a bench. Tea hadn't really been able to communicate with the lady, but she had understood what she'd said. The lady was holding a small white kitten in her hands and yelling at a pair of little children that dashed away from her. She'd then seen Tea and signalled for her to come closer. Confused, Tea came closer to the lady and was surprised to be handed the little kitten.

"Keep her. She needs a loving home."

Tea had been at a loss for words. Before she could really say anything back, the old lady had already walked away.

Tea stood dumbstruck at the retreating form of the lady.

"... Thank you," she said in a whisper as she turned her attention back to the little white ball that lay in her arms.

"Time to go home then," she said as she continued her walk back home.

--

Kaiba stifled another yawn as he let himself sink into the couch. It'd been a long day and he was beginning to feel the effects of his lack of sleep.

"Ah man! I'm beat!" The muddled blonde haired boy slumped down beside him. He too let out a yawn as he stretched his arms out. "When can we go home?"

A few feet away, Yami looked up at Joey from the script he had been reading. His eyes also held the evidence of a horrible sleeping habit as the busy schedules took its toll on him. On the other hand, Bakura was able to find some peaceful moments as he had already fallen asleep. Their manager and Marik had disappeared.

"Yah! I asked when can we go home?" Joey's voice squeaked.

Kaiba let out a grunt as he leaned his head against the couch. He stared up at the white ceiling of the room. He for one couldn't wait to get some rest. He'd been exhausted by the flights from Japan to Korea, as well as the occasional trips to North America. The last month had been extremely busy in which all five members were trying to get from one variety show appearance, to another. Along with that, they had to find room for fan meetings, as well as Marik and Joey's drama shootings. Kaiba couldn't help but remember how much his life changed after he entered the entertainment business.

"Hopefully soon," Yami stated as he closed the script that he'd been reading a few minutes earlier. "Why don't you go see if you can find the manager?"

Joey whined a bit before getting up to hunt down the manager. Kaiba closed his eyes as the music of the natural world entered his mind.

--

Tea was startled as she heard a thump in front of her doorway. She jolted up on her bed, letting her blanket slide down her torso into a lump above her hips. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to adjust to the darkness engulfing her room. Her curtains were closed shut, yet no light was filtering through the windows. It was still dark outside yet she could still hear someone talking and walking around in the halls.

"Who the heck is making all that noise?" She muttered as she slid out of her bed. Even the little kitten, Eva, had her ears perked up as she stood in a protective stance. Tea smiled and kneeled down before her. She gave a small pat on the head before proceeding to the doorway.

Tea just hoped it wasn't any pranksters or criminals. When she came home that day, she found her 'Welcome' sign on the floor. She wanted to believe that it had just fallen, but there was a nagging feeling telling her that it was an omen telling her that she was not welcome there.

"Damn my superstitious aunt," Tea exclaimed with a sigh. She slowly creeped over to her doorway and leaned her ear against the door.

"Yahh, you're too loud! She's going to wake up," came a low voice.

Tea jolted up and stared hard at the door in front of her. She could feel her heart pick up speed as she stared at her doorknob. Someone was in front of her house, and they sure seemed to be trying to come in. After a small moment, Tea placed her eye to the small hole that was in her door.

As she looked out of the small hole, the first thing she saw was something blond, standing a few feet away from her door. The man had his back to her as he held up a hand to whoever was behind him.

"Dude, I warned you. Suit yourself," came another voice, followed by retreating footsteps.

Tea continued to watch as the blond began to move further from her door towards the left. She let out a sigh as he disappeared from her hole. Her heart began to slow down.

"So it wasn't a break-in attempt." Tea laughed at the whole situation as she made her way to the kitchen. She began to fish through her refrigerator for some milk. She suddenly jolted again at the loud shriek that filled the hallway.

Without thinking, Tea was already at her door and facing the desolate hallway. She immediately looked towards her left at the door of her neighbours. She immediately recognized the young girl she'd met earlier that day, and the blond mess that now lay sprawled across the ground.

"What the hell were you doing?!" She screamed. Tea noticed the blonde cringe, and couldn't help herself either. 'What the heck is going on here?'

"I told ya, I don't like him!" The blonde boy somehow managed to sound confident and composed, which was nothing what he looked like on the floor. Instead, he reminded Tea of a lost puppy. She couldn't believe that she has once thought the boy on the ground was a criminal.

"You listen to me Joey! I only moved in here on your account! You promised to leave me alone as long as I stayed close by!"

Tea stood there baffled as Eva slowly crept out of her open doorway. Eva was able to venture out into the hallway, but Tea stood planted in her apartment, with only her upper half peeking out to oversee what was happening. 'Is this a lover's spat?'

"...Yah, but..."

Serenity stomped her foot as someone approached behind her. Tea was sure that she was seeing a dramatic scene unfold in front of her.

"Serenity, calm down," came Duke's voice as he placed his arms around her waist. "He's your brother after all. Be a bit nicer."

Tea could see Serenity visibly calm down slightly. She let out a sigh before looking towards the boy on the ground. 'So that's her brother?'

"Look Joey, I'm a big girl now, and I'm in love with Duke. You're going to have to accept that and stop meddling into my life."

The boy on the ground continued to grunt as he glared at the man behind his sister.

Tea looked on as she saw the boy named Joey rise to his feet. He didn't bulge from his spot but continued to look on at the couple at the doorway.

"Ren, go inside for now," Duke said sternly as he stepped into the hallway, "I'm going to have a small chat with your brother."

Serenity looked from Duke to Joey with concerned eyes. It was obvious that she didn't want the two to get into a fight. It was only when Duke gave her a smile that she walked into the room.

'Ah no! They better not get into a fight here,' Tea thought as she held the edge of the door tightly.

The silence between the two had been overbearing. Tea could sense the hostile atmosphere between the two as they stared at each other. Things weren't looking good.

---

"Look Joey, I'm a big girl now, and I'm in love with Duke. You're going to have to accept that and stop meddling into my life."

Marik let a small smirk play on his lips as he continued to watch the scene in front of him. He had warned Joey ahead of time about venturing to Serenity's place. But of course, Joey would not listen to him at all.

This same scene was a normal theatrical at least every few months. He'd been used to the normal antics between brother and sister, yet today was different. In the midst of the arguing, he saw long brown hair flow out of the room a few feet away from him. His eyes had been fixated on the back of the woman who now peeped across the hall to his fallen mate. He couldn't see her face, but he did notice the slightly tanned skin on her arms, and the thin frame of her shoulders. By the look of things, she seemed to be a young woman. At her feet, a small kitten had treaded its way out. It too joined as a spectator watching the drama.

Marik's attention was brought back to the scene as Joey rose to his feet. 'This might get ugly,' he thought as he shifted his weight to the other leg. He continued to watch as Joey's little sister walked back into the room, and how Duke and Joey began to have their own little showdown. Things were looking... climatic.

---

"This is bad," Tea whispered as she gripped her door. She couldn't just stand and watch as the two boys were just about ready to begin a physical showdown. She knew she had to do something, but Tea didn't even know the number for security in the building.

"Ah man, my second night here, and already there's disturbance."

"Listen Joey, I don't know if you understand this, but you need to back off," Duke said with his arms crossed above his chest. He shut the door to his room behind him, and not stood inches away from Joey's tall frame.

Joey continued to scowl as he held an steady lock on Duke's gaze.

It took him a moment of silence before he continued. "I want you out of her life."

Duke held Joey's gaze and kept his face straight. With a mere shrug, he held up his right hand. Without another moment, he turned his back on Joey and posed himself to re-enter the room. He opened the door and paused mid-way though.

"That's not your decision to make."

Joey was then met with the shut door. Tea could see the anger boiling up over the young blonde. Not wanting to be part of the problem Tea was about to walk back into the room until she noticed a small white blob trotting across the hallway towards the angered blonde man.

Tea let out a small curse as she let herself out into the menacing hallway. 'This is not my day,' she thought as she made her way closer to the little kitten that now stood beside Joey.

She froze when the blonde locked his blaring eyes with her startled ones. All was stationary in that moment as the two just stared at each other. She stood there with her mouth slightly open and her arms reached out for the kitten. He glared at her and then followed the direction of her arms to his legs. There he found a small white kitten with hazel eyes looking up at him. With an exhale of breath, he crouched down to the little kitten that had been looking up at him with large, round eyes.

"Hi there little one." Tea took a step back at the calm voice that protruded from the once angered fellow in front of her. She watched as he patted Eva on the head and picked her up in his arms. Eva immediately began pawing his hand in a playful manner as he let a smile graze his lips.

Tea stood there mystified at the beautiful scene in front of me. Originally, Tea had seen him as a rude, cold-hearted man who had been way too protective of his sister. Instead, she now faced a kind, sweet man that seemed to have a soft spot for little animals.

Tea quickly snapped out of her little daze as she put her arms down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay. I was loud. Sorry about that," his sweet voice cut in as he handed Eva back to her. He smiled at Tea as he gave Eva a pat on her head. "She's adorable, what's her name?"

Tea smiled back as she watched his sad, solemn face before answering "Eva." The hallway was now silent again as both of them stood there at a loss as to what to say. Tea was just about to speak when he beat her to it.

"So you must be the new tenant that just moved in?"

Tea nodded. She smiled again as she tried to introduce herself.

"My name's Tea. I just moved in yesterday. You are...?"

He looked slightly surprised when she asked for his name, but quickly composed himself. "Joey, Joey Wheeler."

Tea smiled at him, and didn't let the tiny grief-stricken tone go unnoticed. She looked towards the door they were standing in front of before bringing her attention back to Joey.

"You look like you could use a friend. If you don't find it weird or sudden, would you like to come in for a little chat? I'm all ears."

He looked at her with his sad eyes and pondered for a moment.

"That would be nice," he said with a small smile. Tea smiled back as she led him back towards her apartment. The both of them entered the apartment and closed the door behind them. The clock had just struck five in the morning as Joey sat down on Tea's couch in the living room.

"I've only got some milk and orange juice right now so which will it be?" Tea smiled as she saw his confused look. Eva had found her way over to his legs and was now attached to them.

"Uh... Orange please."

Tea smiled as she took out the bottle and poured it into a glass. She made her way to the couch and passed him the glass as she sat down across from him.

"Alright, shoot."

---

Marik nearly yelped out in surprise as he saw Joey agree to go with the new girl. Marik was never one to get surprised easily, yet this girl caught him off guard. Not only did she approach an already pissed off man, she also asked him to come into her room. Marik peered at the girls small frame and build. She was wearing a robe around her shoulders that reached just below her knees. Her knees were bare and the skin seemed to look quite pale.

Marik let out a smile as he heard Joey agree. He turned himself around and entered the room quietly. Inside, Yami had already fallen asleep in his room. Kaiba was sitting by the balcony reading, while Bakura was watching some television.

Marik walked in with a chuckle and flopped himself down next to Bakura.

"Another show?" He questioned while his eyes were glued to an old performance.

Marik nodded as he leaned his head against the palms of his hands. "With a new twist though."

Bakura looked towards Marik as he smirked again.

"Looks like Joey's found a little girl friend next door."

---

Tea smiled slightly as Joey began to reiterate his story. He'd opened up to her instantly and now was talking about his dreams he'd always wanted to accomplish. He seemed to be quite animated with all his sorrows forgotten.

They'd been talking for some time, and one story would lead to another. Tea couldn't help but find herself amused by his stories. She couldn't believe all the drama he'd gone through as a child, and now with the pain he'd been suffering from his sister.

"Ya, so I rather her be with my mate then that guy," he pouted.

Tea smiled as she tried to form her words in her head, "Maybe you might want to give him a chance first though. He's not all that bad you know."

Joey looked at her for a moment before he looked around the apartment.

"So tell me, how did you manage to move into here?"

Tea looked at him quizzically. 'How I managed to move there? Was it really that difficult?'

"Uhh... I'm actually not around from here. My aunt lives here and she made arrangements for me."

Joey smiled a bit before he continued. "You're aunt lives here? Well she sure picked a great spot for you.... wait, where are you from then?" He added as he patted Eva's head as she lay in his laps.

"I'm from Canada. Came down to get in touch with my inner Japanese," she responded with a wider smile.

Joey let out a small snicker before getting up. "Well, I've held you up long enough. Thanks for listening Tea. It was nice meeting you."

Tea stood up as well as she walked him to the door. "You too. You're welcome here anytime you'd like to chat."

Joey paused at her doorsteps as he pondered over his thoughts. "You really don't know who I am?"

Tea looked at him with a questioning gaze. He'd just been telling her about his life problems for the past hour and a half, and now he asked her if she knew who he was?

She smiled with her head tilted to the side. "Have we met before?"

He looked at her again and shook his head.

"Nevermind. You should get some rest for now. Night."

"Night," she responded as he walked out the door. She closed it behind him and led herself towards her bed. She was tired from all the walking, and she wanted to be well rested for her second day of exploration.

As she stared at her ceiling, she thought about the whole ordeal that had occurred. She was glad to know that she'd made a new friend today. Both her neighbours were turning out to be good friends.

"I sure am lucky," she whispered as she closed her eyes to the heaviness of the deep slumber she'd been forestalling.

--

Seto Kaiba sat by the small couch in the corner with his book still in hand. Time had been ticking, and Joey still hadn't come home. Both Marik and Bakura had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting to hear from Joey.

"Idiots," he thought as he stood up and stretched his arms out. He was about to head to his room when the front door opened and Joey walked in quietly. He took off his shoes and crept in slowly, until he came face to face with Kaiba.

"Yah! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing?"

Kaiba arched his brow as he looked past Joey to the door.

Joey smiled again and ruffled his blond hair. "I lost track of time." He paused at Kaiba's blank stare.

"Did I ask?" Kaiba asked as he turned around and began walking towards his room.

Joey grunted as he followed behind. "Thanks for caring," he strut sarcastically.

Kaiba merely rolled his eyes as he closed the door to his room. Unlike his other members, he liked to have his own privacy. For that very reason, he had his very own room with a wonderful balcony attached. When they first moved in, everyone had immediately known which rooms best suited them. Like the others, he found the room he was in now the most comforting. He felt a sense of peace and hope in the room. He could easily go out into the balcony when he wanted to and look out onto the world below.

He slid himself into his bed and stared out the small creek in the curtains. There he could still see the sunflower his younger brother had given him. It had blossomed into a magnificent yellow and could still glitter in the light of dawn.

With a smile, Kaiba closed his eyes as he let the waiting sleep drown him. He'd been working hard, and it was finally time for him to rest.

'Guess we got lucky,' he thought before he lost his consciousness.

---

The night sky was beginning to lighten slowly. The birds had begun to awake and chirp to bring in the new morning. The Sunflower continued to gleam as it began to feed on the fresh light of the new day. The Sakuras danced to the flow of the winds. Inside, a young man slept quietly, forgetting all that was associated with his hectic life. Opposite him, slept a young woman who was learning all that there was to learn for a new beginning. The only thing separating their lives now was a wall.

The Sun continued to rise as it welcomed in the new day. Within the sunlight, the two flowers rose and soaked in the new day. It was a new beginning, and they both knew that things would change. Their meeting was inevitable.

--

**And that is all I am writing for that one! :P Yes this will be a romance story... as you can all probably tell. I will be updating this... but I can't guarantee how long it may take for the next chapter to come out. Hopefully not extremely long! Anyways, the story is starting off slowly right now, and of course it will be a bumpy ride, but hopefully you'll all enjoy it. Any help with Japanese culture, as their community lifestyles and so forth is greatly appreciated!! I want to thank all those that reviewed and helped give me an insight into Japanese culture (Kiski and starfairy25). THANK YOU!**

**Please R&R! Until next time then! :D**


	3. Chance

**Chaos Lane**

**Hiya! Here's the next instalment of Chaos Lane! Thanks for all the reviews and... Please R & R!! **

_Disclaimers: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or the characters, and this story is purely fictional. If it does resemble anything, it is by pure coincidence! Thank you and enjoy!_

Things to look for (All the chapters follow this guide):

_Flashbacks_

'Thoughts'/ 'sounds'

"Dialogue"

(NOTE from me)

**Summary:** _**Tea Gardner has lived her whole life in Canada. She was born and raised there and the only thing she knew about Japan was what she learned through her mother. Now on a path to surpass her mother, she enters Japan to prove to her parents that she can succeed without their help, and that she will strive to become the best dancer there is. However, little does she know that the peaceful and quiet life that she hoped for will no longer exist? Instead, she'll be facing crazy fans, the manipulative media, criminals, and worst of all her celebrity neighbours. She's going to realize just how difficult it is to live life in the spotlight. **_

_Last Chapter:_

_The night sky was beginning to lighten slowly. The birds had begun to awake and chirp to bring in the new morning. The Sunflower continued to gleam as it began to feed on the fresh light of the new day. The Sakuras danced to the flow of the winds. Inside, a young man slept quietly, forgetting all that was associated with his hectic life. Opposite him, slept a young woman who was learning all that there was to learn for a new beginning. The only thing separating their lives now was a wall. _

_The Sun continued to rise as it welcomed in the new day. Within the sunlight, the two flowers rose and soaked in the new day. It was a new beginning, and they both knew that things would change. Their meeting was inevitable._

**Chapter 3:**

**Chance**

Knocking. Knocking. A shout. Again, knocking. 'Hey', the voice yelled again. Silence, and then the alarm.

Seto let out a sigh as he let the noises of the dorm room fill his mind again. He could here Marik banging on the door telling him to get up. His phone was still ringing with the morning alarm that he was sure Marik had set on.

"Kaiba! Get up!" Marik's loud voice sifted through the door.

With a grunt, Seto sat up in his bed. He grabbed his phone while his eyes began to adjust to the morning light that was glistening in through the curtains.

11:24 am.

"Hurry up Kaiba! You're the only one left!" Marik's voice broke in again.

"Shut up!" He finally yelled as he pulled off his sheets. This was ridiculous. They had finally been able to take a small break from their hectic schedule, and he couldn't even catch up on his sleep.

"What do you want?" Seto bolted as soon as he swung his door open. In front of him stood Marik; sporting a black shirt with beige pants. His hair had been pulled into a low pony tail with a few of his sandish bangs sticking out. His eyes were also shaded with a dark pair of sunglasses as his face adorned one of his infamous smiles.

"We're going out!"

--

Tea ran towards the kitchen stove as she heard water sizzling on the stovetop. She'd left the macaroni in the water for some time now and the water had already begun to drop down the kettle. It'd managed to seep out from under the lid and flow over the edge. It dragged down the side of the kettle until it vanished after it hit the heat.

Tea turned down the temperature and drained the last of the water. She added a few vegetables and some salt and spices. Her mother had taught her to make this dish and she'd been craving some spicy macaroni for some time now.

Tea looked towards the clock and sighed. It was almost 11:30, and she was supposed to be meeting with Mai at 1 pm today. Tea grumbled as she remembered the call only a few minutes ago.

"_Hey Mai? It's Tea... The girl from the plane," Tea spoke as she looked out at her balcony. The sun had let it's rays into the bedroom and the flowers in her balcony were already cheerfully gleaming in. The sky looked bright and blue, reassuring her that the day would be a good one._

"_Oh my god! Hey Tea! It's good to hear from you! What are you up to? How's things been? How's Japan?" Mai's exhilarated voice came through._

_Tea smiled as she remembered her unique friend. _

"_All's well. Japan's been fun. You sound good too. How are things?"_

"_You know me! Say! What are you doing today?"_

_Tea couldn't help but let her smile grow. She was definitely happy that she'd met Mai on the plane. The girl was pretty easy to get along with... and entertaining._

"_Not much. I'm still pretty much getting used to the place," she replied honestly._

"_Good! You my friend are going to be my date to the party this weekend!"_

_Tea was baffled. Party? Weekend? "What are you talking about? But wait... you asked about today?" Confusion was definitely one of the predominant feelings that were bursting through her._

"_Yes! I don't think you have much to do right now either... and besides, the party's a high class one. We'll get to dress up and party with some famous and rich people! As for today... we're going shopping!" Mai's voice was beyond cheerful._

'_How does she do it?' Tea thought as she sighed into the phone. "Alright then! Let's meet ?" _

"_How about at Keio plaza?" _(**A/N: 1**)

"_Sure," she responded as the faint image the hotel came into her mind. Her aunt had pointed it out on their way home from the airport._

"_Good! Then see you at 1!"_

Tea squatted down and pat Eva's head. It was time to get ready and get out on the streets again.

--

"Why do I have to go?" He muttered as they all stood in the hallway.

"Hush it Kaiba. We're a team," came Bakura's mocking voice. All of them now stood there in casual clothing. Yami had pulled his blond, striking hair under a dark cap. He sported a white top with blue jeans. Joey also followed suit with a white cap and olive shirt. Bakura decided to wear a blue hooded sweater over his white sleeveless top.

"It's been a while since we went out shopping." Yami said as he finished locking the door.

"We stick out too much," Seto muttered as he leaned against the wall. He too was forced into wearing black jeans and a white top. Over his top, he wore a black vest. On his head, he wore a black cap with his sliver earring visible on his right ear.

"We're going to get caught," he said again as his members checked they had everything again.

"Don't worry. We'll manage," Joey said as he began to walk towards the elevator.

Without another word, Marik rushed forward to catch up to Joey. The both of them were now standing in front of the door of the new tenant.

"How is she?" Marik inquired as the night before came flashing into their minds.

Bakura let out a snicker and Seto rolled his eyes. Immature.

Yami stood there confused as he looked at all of them. "What happened?"

"He made a new friend," Bakura said while passing the two boys in front of the closed door.

Seto merely followed Bakura to the elevator and the both of them waited. Behind them, the three boys, Yami, Marik, and Joey, now stood in front of the 'Welcome' sign.

"She's nice. Came from Canada and had no idea who I was," Joey said with a smile.

Seto merely raised his eyebrow. 'Probably another stalker,' he thought. 'She's got connections if she could get in here.'

As if on cue, the elevator door opened behind them.

"Yo! Elevator's here!" Bakura yelled as he and Seto got in. Instead, the three boys were still standing in front of the door talking.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" Bakura yelled again. Again, they seemed to ignore him.

"Just leave them," Seto finally spoke. They would have to separate anyway to get out without being noticed by the crowds.

Bakura glanced over at Seto and then at the other three again. With a shrug he pressed the button and the doors began to shut.

Seto and Bakura both watched as the tenant's door began to open. The last thing Seto saw before the elevator shut was a glimpse of brown hair.

--

"Why don't you introduce us?" A voice from behind the door whispered.

"At least say 'thank you'," came another deep voice.

Tea stood in front of the door listening in on the muted voices. One of them was the same one from last night. The other was a new one.

"She's probably sleeping," came a familiar voice. Tea cracked a smile as Joey's face popped into her head. She'd been hoping he was feeling better since what happened a few hours earlier. He'd been really down and seemed quite stressed.

"No kidding! You kept her up late," came the voice from last night.

Tea couldn't help but let a giggle escape her throat. She clasped her palm around the door knob and pulled the door in. In front of her stood three men, all wearing the same expression on their features. They were frozen in the middle of their discussion and all eyes locked on her. Behind them the small 'ting' went off indicating the elevator had just left.

A moment of silence went by as she smiled. "Ohayou," she said in Japanese. (**A/N: 2**)

Joey was the first to get out of his trance as he replied 'ohayou'.

"Now what are you guys doing in front of my door?" She asked as she looked at all of them.

"Sorry. I was just about to go out, and wanted to say thanks for last night," Joey spoke. (A/N: I think most of you have noticed by now, Joey's speech is clear and that is for a reason. He is a celebrity and has to have good speaking skills.)

Tea smiled and nodded. "Not a problem." She then glanced towards the two men standing on either side of Joey with a questioning gaze. Picking up on her puzzled look, Joey shook his head with a sigh.

"These are my... roommates. This one's Yami, and he's Marik," Joey said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Pleasure meeting you, I'm Tea." With a smile, she couldn't help but notice how similar their hair colours were. Was that done on purpose?

Yami nodded his head as he said his hello, while Marik smiled.

"You really don't know who we are?"

Both Joey and Yami turned to their friend with strict glares. Tea was confused again as she watched all three of them exchange looks.

"Am I supposed to know?"

"No, it's nothing. This guy's a bit of a troublemaker so don't mind him," Yami said.

Marik merely snickered as he peered into her room.

Tea caught his eyes and quickly apologized.

"Sorry! I would invite you in, but I'm heading out to meet a friend right now," she said with a touch of embarrassment in her tone.

"No! It's okay! We were heading out too actually. I just wanted to stop by and say hi," Joey's humiliated voice said. Marik merely snickered again as Yami let out a sigh.

Tea looked at them with confusion again and with a smile she nodded her head.

"Then I'll see you all later. It was nice meeting you two," she iterated with a warm smile on her face.

Both boys nodded. They exchanged their 'bye's' and were gone behind her closed door. Inside, Tea smiled at the... 'weird'... or rather unique boys.

"Seem like nice people," she said to Eva as the small blob made her entrance out of her room. Tea looked towards the time and yelled.

"Mai'll kill me! I gotta go now Eva! I'll be back a bit later!" she yelled as she scrimmaged for her bag and keys. She rapidly grabbed her things and ran out her door. It was her first time she had company going out, and Tea was looking forward to an exciting day.

"Here we go!"

--

"This is perfect!" Mai exclaimed as she stood in front of a mirror. They had been out shopping for clothes for nearly two hours now, and this was the first time Mai seemed to agree on an outfit. Mai's blond locks framed her delicate face lightly as they extended beyond her back. Instead of her dark skirt and top she'd been wearing moments ago, she now sported a purple gown. The purple gown began its formation on Mai's shoulders, slowly wrapping its way around her figure. The dress then loosened up around her hips, and further extended towards back of her knees. The front of the gown ended slightly above her knee caps, revealing a view of her toned legs.

Tea eyed her with awe as she smiled. "Yup, I think you've found the one."

Mai turned her body to a 90 degree angle as she glanced at her gown from different angles.

"I think I'll get this one!" She assured as she nodded to the associate.

She then turned towards Tea and extended her hand. Tea looked puzzled again as she rose an eyebrow.

"Now it's your turn," she said as she yanked Tea off her seat.

Tea yelped and protested but was met with a push into the change room. Without warning, Mai pulled Tea's bag from her and closed the curtain to separate the two of them.

"You kept me company today, and you'll be keeping me company at the party too. We need to get you into something sexy too! Wait here and I'll go find something!" Mai's voice rang.

"But Mai--"

"Not listening!" Mai's fading voice chimed.

Tea sighed as she looked at the small room. Mai's previous outfits that she had tried on were hanging from the few hangers that were placed on the walls. In front of her was a mirror where she could see a tall, slim figure with brown hair and blue eyes staring back at her. She was glad she'd decided not to cut her hair as it hung beyond her neck to her back.

"Here! Try this one on!" Mai said as a yellow dress was pushed into her face. Tea tried to protest again but was met with more scolding.

With a sigh, Tea pulled off her clothes and slipped into the dress Mai had given her.

"Is it on?" Mai's impatient voice croaked.

"Hang on! I'm still--" Tea screamed as the curtains were yanked open. Tea faced Mai with her open eyes as she looked her up and down. She pulled Tea out and made her face the large mirror in front.

Even Tea looked surprised to see the beautiful fabric now clinging to her body. Mai had decided to go for a long yet sexy look. The dress had a low 'V' cut at the front of her chest, which was held by a strap on either shoulder. The dress cascaded beneath her hips into a heap of beautiful waves that reached the floor.

"And the best part about this dress is the back!" Mai exclaimed as she whirled Tea around so she could see. The back of her dress was open until the midway down. Instead, two straps criss-crossed on her bare skin to hold the fabric in place.

"I don't know. This seems a bit too... flashy," Tea said.

"Nonsense!" Mai exclaimed as she nodded to the associate. "When I'm done with you, you will be the second most beautiful girl at the party," she exclaimed with a smirk.

Tea smiled as she let Mai win another round of their little disagreements.

"Alright, how much is this?" Tea asked the associate.

"Tea, out of the shop now!" Mai exclaimed as she handed the associate her credit card.

Before Tea could protest, she'd been pushed out of the store and yelled at.

Tea sighed as she looked at her happy friend inside the shop paying for the clothes.

"Guess I really am lucky," she whispered as she watched a small bird fly towards the sun.

--

"What party?" Joey asked as he scooped up a few spoons of vanilla ice cream.

"It's manager Lee's friend's party. Apparently only the rich and famous will be there," Marik snorted while downing his shake.

"Well at least it will be a breather," Yami informed as he too took a sip of his own shake.

"Yeah! Only certain people will be there, and they also promised to keep our coming there a secret. So for once, we can enjoy ourselves without any extra baggage," Marik exclaimed.

"They're not baggage! That's our fans you're talking about!" Yami scolded.

"You know what I meant!" Marik snickered.

Seto just looked at his group with a blank expression. All he'd asked for was a little peace and quiet. Not shopping, not parties, and definitely not being stuck here with these idiots eating ice cream and chit-chatting. 'Okay, not idiots, but dumb kids,' he thought at his own harsh words. Truth was the whole group had been together for a few years now. It would be wrong to say that there was no deep connection between each of them. They'd all grown to 'like' each other and were what most people would call 'friends'. Even Seto knew he'd come to rely on them for their stupidity and their values. He remembered his first impression of each of them. Marik seemed to be a bit of a 'free-spirit'. He would speak his mind and do whatever he wanted to. Joey had been the best to tease. He would easily get offended and act dumbly. Bakura was a bit of a quiet fellow at the start. Only a few snide remarks would escape his mouth. Yami on the other hand had become the leader. He held this 'authoritative' role as soon as he walked in. Yet now, Seto knew them better. They were more than their original cocky, dumb, and idiotic selves. They all had a dream of music and that was what brought them together.

"Don't worry Kaiba, we'll drag you there if we have to!" Bakura chuckled as he gave Seto a wink.

Seto rolled his eyes and smirked. He knew he'd be forced into it anyways, so there was no point in protesting now.

"Whatever."

"I'll be back," Marik said as he got up and walked outside the store.

"Where's he going?" Joey questioned in between another scoop of his ice cream. Everyone else at the table shrugged.

--

"Oh my god, they've got the new CD! Tea come on!" Mai exclaimed as a bunch of people were trying to push their way into the already busy store. Tea just smiled and shook her head no.

"You go ahead. I don't think I'd make it through that," she said. She pointed towards a small bench on the other side of the street a few shops down. "I'll be there so meet me there when you're done."

Mai nodded and immediately disappeared into the store.

Tea swiftly made her way towards the waiting bench as her legs began to waver. She was tired, and Mai sure knew how to make people walk a long time. As soon as she crossed the street and flopped herself down on the bench and leaned her head against the back of it. She closed her eyes and let the sun heat up her face.

As she sat there with her eyes closed, she could hear the noises of the street. Cars were going by, people were laughing. She could hear little children, and bicycle horns going off. Even the noise from the busy music shop was audible from where she was sitting. She tried to zone everything out as the faint sound of birds chirping came into her ears. She held onto that peaceful sound as she felt herself drift further into her tired state. 'This is perfect,' she thought as she listened to the noises in her peaceful state.

"Yo! What you doing?"

Tea bolted her eyes open at the sudden intrusion. She was startled by the voice that she couldn't help but jump. She quickly turned her eyes with a glare towards the man who had just interrupted her peaceful moment.

"Oh, did I scare you?" He said with a snicker.

Tea looked baffled, but her features turned into a scowl again. "Yes you did. What are you doing here?" She had just met him a few hours ago and yet they had met again now. 'Is he stalking me?' she pondered amusingly.

He laughed again as he took a seat beside her. "We were just having some ice cream down at that store," here he pointed to a store a few shops away from the hectic one she'd been at moments earlier. "We were finally able to get some free time in our busy schedules," he said with his grin still plain in sight.

Tea nodded as she tried to catch a hint of his eyes through his dark glasses. "I see. Where are the other two?"

He turned his full body towards her and leaned forward until his upper weight was supported on his elbows which he'd placed on his knees. "In there having ice cream."

Tea raised her eye brow at him as she peered into the glared window of the ice cream shop. "And why are you not enjoying some ice cream in there?" She asked a bit cautiously. Truth be told, this guy seemed a bit 'creepy' to her. He was so hard for her to understand and the way he walked about made him seem arrogant. Yet right now he was being too obvious in his advances.

"I got bored. Plus I saw a pretty little flower sitting here all alone," he said as he obviously bore his eye into hers.

Tea looked at him again, trying to hide the uncomfortable feelings she was having. It was her second day in Japan, and she was already being hit on by one of her neighbours.

"Flower's don't sit, they grow," she said as she tried to keep up her smile. She didn't want him to realize that something about him set off warning signs in her.

He looked at her and smiled again. "They do grow, into more beautiful forms."

Again Tea looked at him with wide eyes. "That is until they fade." She gave up on her smile attempts.

He smirked with a pervasive look on his visible feature.

"Not before they open up and blossom."

Tea looked startled. 'Get your mind out of the gutter Tea!' She thought as she tried to think about a comeback. Nothing.

He lowered his glasses slightly, letting his grayish eyes meet her cerulean ones.

Tea gave up. Why the heck were they even talking about flowers in the first place?

"Whatever." She said as she looked towards the hectic store, hoping Mai would hurry up.

He let out a chuckle as he too turned his head towards the direction she was looking at. "Cute," he said leaning his back against the bench.

Tea didn't respond. Instead she watched people walked up and down the streets. A few random people seem to glance her way but then look away.

"So what are you doing sitting here all alone?" He asked when she didn't respond.

"Waiting for a friend," came her strained voice.

He tried to ignore the obvious hint of annoyance that laced her voice. Again he smiled as he looked into the store. "In there? What's she doing?"

Tea sighed as she looked towards him again. "Some new CD came out and she ran in to get it. I don't get what all the hype is about though," Tea replied truthfully. It was better to be on good terms with people for now, especially since he was her neighbour.

He laughed again and watched a few girls exit the store happily clinging onto a CD. "It's called idols. They're in love with some singers."

Tea snorted as she watched the group of girls happily discussing a wish for a concert or something. "I call it crazy."

He turned to her again with a smug look. "So you've never had a celebrity crush before? Or been in a situation where you had to buy the newest CD or movie the moment it came out because of the singer or actor?"

She thought for a moment and pondered. "Not that I can think of. Movies, I watch here and there. Music I always listen to, but I'm not really into the whole heavy metal stuff. I usually wait around until I hear something about CD's and such or if I happen to come across a piece. Besides, just because an artist comes out with one great song doesn't mean that the rest of their songs will be awesome. Music is definitely not about appearances. Besides, technology helps alter voices nowadays too."

"Ouch. Don't let a singer hear you say that," he said. She merely rolled her eyes again as she stifled another yawn.

Tea nearly jumped up and ran when she saw her friend exit the store across the street. Mai was looking at the new CD in her hands. Tea let out a smile and waved her hand the moment Mai's eyes met hers.

"So that's your friend?" Marik asked with curiousity.

"Yeah, you know her?" she asked with an inquisitive voice. Marik seemed to know her, or at least seen her before.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Can't say I do. Anyway, I think I'll head back over to my crew. They'll flip out at me for disappearing on them."

Tea smiled brightly as she nodded. "Nice seeing you again," she said.

He smirked at her again and stood up. "Don't lie. I'll see you around Tea."

"Bye Marik," she said slightly offended. So she met the first guy that she didn't like all too much. He on the other hand seemed to notice and didn't care.

Marik laughed again before making his way across the street, a little further off from the music store than she would've thought. Was he avoiding it?

"Tea!" Mai came running towards her, tightly holding her CD to her chest. "Got it! The boys decided to go with a mysterious look this time! Ack look!" She shoved the CD into Tea's face.

Tea merely took a step back as she tried to focus her attention on the image in front of her. The CD was written in Japanese, and she couldn't really make out the words. However, on the cover were five pairs of colourful eyes. Blue, violet, gray, honey, and brown. All five pairs gave off a different feel, and Tea couldn't help but feel something stir inside her.

"They are so gorgeous! And they are so talented!" She chimed.

Tea smiled while her stomach growled in response. Embarrassed, she looked around in hopes of finding some place to eat. "How bout we grab something to eat before heading out?"

Mai let out her melodious laugh as she grabbed a hold of Tea's arm. "I know just the place!"

With that she pulled Tea across to their new destination.

"Food!"

--

A single bird sat across the street upon a thick branch. Its eyes observed the life of the city. Busy people were rushing along, the lights flashing on and off. It watched the pedestrians flow in and out of buildings. It heard the vehicles roar and fade away. Slowly it scanned its surroundings.

Up ahead was a strip of shops, catering to food and entertainment. In the midst of a shop stood a small little bird which called out to him. He chirped in sorrow as he realized it could not reach it. In sorrow he watched as the little one watched back.

Soon, they would meet. They were fated to be.

Soon.

--

**And that is the end of that! I'm sort of experimenting with my writing so hopefully it doesn't get annoying for all of you! ****J**** Things are a bit slow now but they shall get better. This is my first shot at a Romance/ Drama fic, and I really hope you all will enjoy it! ****J**** I'm already in my hectic month with mid-terms and the like, and I can't be sure when I'll have the next chapter up. For those of you who are reading my other story, Nightmare City, I have not had a chance to work on the next chapter, but shall in due time. Thank you too all that have supported this/any/all of my stories! Thank you! And Reviews always make me happier! :D Let me know what you think! Until the next one!**

A/N:

1. Keio Plaza is a real place in Japan. For further info for sites I used. Send me a message and I shall send you the links.

2. Ohayou means "Good Morning"


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